AN: The last two chapters sure did get reactions. Haha! Thanks for reviewing and reading! We're almost there!
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A few days later, Sora was surprised to find Leon subdued once again.
Given the hectic happening of that one night, she didn't know what to make of his brooding. It didn't make her happy to see him that way and before she could bat the idea around even more, she decided to try to get him to snap out of it.
When she passed him backstage, she made a point to give a little wave or nod and then continued on her duties. He didn't respond back to them, but the fact that he saw them was enough for her at this point in time.
What her purpose in doing the waves, her desire to redeem herself not only in her own mind but in his as well, and the notion she had that he had mixed feelings about her return to Kaleido Stage left her insides all knotted up inside. She wasn't sure what to do other than to continue as she had been and biding her time for the next show tryouts.
She didn't want conflict on the stage.
She paused in putting the programs on the chairs. May and Leon have no qualms over fighting. They both didn't shy away from confrontation; and in a way, neither did she. However, if there was a way to solve something without fighting, Sora was more inclined to follow that route, even if it was more difficult to pull off.
Her fingers idly traced the image of Leon's long hair.
I'll help you to see it.
She often thought about that night in the hotel and the peaceful expression that had been on Leon's face as he slept. If there is anyone that could use some rest, it's you. His mind and heart were troubled; she had seen it firsthand. She was determined to not see it again, if possible.
There won't be a reason for you to feel that way anymore.
Her fingers reached the end of his hair. She blinked and recalled that she had some duties to accomplish before the next showing. She laid the last program down and then picked up the empty cardboard box she had left in the aisle.
Once she recycled the box, she took out her small pencil and piece of paper with her to do list. As she scratched out the programs duty, her pencil hovered over the paper, seeing the thin blank space at the very bottom.
She went to that spot and scribbled down:
'Conflict free stage'
She was going to go below that to add her second goal when she paused, dissatisfied with that idea. Instead, she went back to what she just wrote and added the other goal right next to the earlier words, putting both on the same level of importance.
'Conflict free stage and helping Leon regain his peace.'
She was aware that Leon's peace of mind could involve her no longer being a part of it. If she was somehow a cause of his unsettled state, then she will leave him be.
She will find the strength to carry that out.
His peace will eventually be a part of her peace. There wouldn't be anything else she would ask of him. He had been her comfort when she was on the edge of despair at the festival, despite how selfish she had been in thinking only about her feelings when he was suffering inside.
She will not repeat that oversight.
IN
Leon stretched backstage as he stared at the back of Sora's head.
She was nodding to whatever the head of the stage crew was telling her and the rest of them. He had noted that she was making small acts of acknowledgment to him within these last few days even though he did not return them.
He didn't know what to make of them.
Is she letting me know that she holds no hard feelings for my mental slip that night? It was not a light matter that had occurred; he would not have blamed her if she had decided to keep her distance. Yet, the opposite occurred which left him wondering.
It also gave him a new level of appreciation for her.
He could not count the number of times he wanted to approach her, touch her, kiss her, make love to her even in some abandoned corridor. It didn't help that they had kissed and rolled into each other a few nights ago. His longings were renewed, but some humiliation kept him from enacting on that yearning.
I lost control.
It was practically unheard of.
The only other times he had not been mentally all there had been after the deaths of his parents and then, of course, Sophie's death.
Especially her death.
It had been a rude awakening and a harsh reminder of the hardships that could be found within the circus world. He had thought that his time with Alen had been the peak of hardship; he had been devastatingly incorrect in that assumption.
Because of those experiences, he couldn't allow himself to be optimistic about Sora's recent behavior.
He heard her laugh as he bent over backwards to stretch some more. She must have felt his stare for she turned her head towards him. Instead of looking uncomfortable and then averting her eyes, she simply tilted her head in thought.
A smile appeared on her face; he reveled in it.
She approached and he didn't dare move for fear of her retreating.
"Hello Leon."
He stayed quiet. he was still trying to get over the fact that she had no qualms about approaching him in front of the rest of the cast and crew members. Their interactions in the past had been in secret. He filed that development away for future ruminating.
"They said today's not as packed," he was amused to see her eyes widen at her poor choice of words, "not to say that the show isn't great! I just meant that you and May won't have to be in costume for so long after the show!" She nervously laughed in an attempt to hide her mistake. "Anyways, I'll be spreading the petals down for today so let's both make today a fun show!"
She began to walk away when she paused for a moment to add one last thing.
"Break a leg!" she chirruped, and then she was off.
Leon straightened up from his stretching position. Her actions made him wonder as he had never wondered before...
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AN: I feel a strange wind coming in...it feels like a storm's a brewing. XP
Side note: This story has reached OVER 9,000 views! (kudos to those who heard that in Vegeta's voice. XP) I'm excited how well received this is! :D